The Partnership Group for Science and Engineering (PAGSE; www.pagse.org) is a cooperative association of national organizations in Science and Engineering. It was formed in June 1995 at the invitation of the Academy of Science of the Royal Society of Canada. The national organizations that comprise PAGSE represent almost 60,000 individual members from industry, academia, and government sectors. They work collectively to represent the Canadian science and engineering community to the
Government of Canada, and to advance research and innovation for the benefit of Canadians. PAGSE is not a lobby group. It does not seek an audience to advance the cause of specific science and engineering initiatives. Rather, its intent is to address the broader issues of science and engineering policy at the national level.

PAGSE Members and Representatives

On January 1 2016, Maria DeRosa, Carleton University, assumed the role of Chair of PAGSE.

PAGSE welcomes a new member, the Canadian Association for Neuroscience.

A full list of PAGSE Member Organizations and representatives can be found appended to this report and at www.pagse.org/en/links.htm.

Bacon & Eggheads

PAGSE, in partnership with the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and CANARIE Inc, sponsors a monthly breakfast meeting held on Parliament Hill, known as “Bacon and Eggheads”. Speakers at the meetings inform parliamentarians about recent advances in science and engineering. In 2015-16 PAGSE organized the presentations listed below. Due to the federal election, no Bacon and Eggheads were held in September, October and November 2015.
Permafrost science heats up: understanding and preparing for change in northern landscapes
Chistopher Burn, Carleton University
Thursday February 4, 2016

SciEng Pages (formerly SciencePages)SciEng Pages is an initiative undertaken by the Partnership Group for Science and Engineering (PAGSE) to provide brief, evidence based assessments of topical science and engineering topics to Parliamentarians and the public. The publication is written by a team of interns and reviewed by a multi-disciplinary panel. An Intern was engaged in 2015 to prepare guidelines for producing SciEng Pages, a communications plan and a social media plan. Pending securing of financial resources, plans are underway for the release of more issues of SciEng Pages in 2016.

Guests, representing science and engineering in the government and industry sectors, are invited to PAGSE Council meetings to present their perspectives on science and engineering in Canada, on the activities of their organizations, as well as the potential issues and challenges that they would like to see PAGSE address. Members also consider federal activities and reports and how best to promote and sustain Canada’s scientific base. The meetings are held at the University of Ottawa. During the last year PAGSE has welcomed the following guests:

October 6, 2015: Iris Almeida-Côté, Executive Director, The Royal Society of Canada

February 3, 2016: Alain Beaudet, President and CEO, Canadian Institutes of Health Research

House of Commons Finance Committee
PAGSE submitted a brief to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance in August 2015. Due to the early federal election call, briefs were not accepted by the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance. The PAGSE brief was re-submitted to the House of Commons Standing Committee for the 2016 Pre-budget consultations (February 2016)
Summary of the 2016 Submission
Canadians understand that the economic, social and environmental health of the country depends crucially on science, technology and innovation (STI). Whether it is in the development of new diagnostic technologies in health, renewable energy technologies to heat and light our businesses and homes, or bringing a new product to market that will enhance prosperity and create jobs, STI touches every aspect of our daily lives.

With a relatively stable economy, high standard of living, and world-leading educational system, Canada has an outstanding opportunity to build on recent investments in our STI enterprise to become a global leader in the knowledge economy. We punch above our weight in terms of international science impact and play host to some of the world's leading researchers and research institutions. However, other countries and key trading partners, in particular the United States, Germany, and the UK, are investing proportionately more in science and reaping greater benefits. Canada can and must do more to become a global leader in STI. Key to achieving this goal will be creating an enduring and stable foundation for discovery-based research to generate the ideas that fuel innovation, building and renewing science infrastructure to accelerate productivity growth and resilience in northern communities, and making talented students and their ideas more mobile within Canada to facilitate knowledge sharing and innovation.

The Partnership Group for Science and Engineering (PAGSE) recommends that the Government:

Increase investments in science and technology to match those in comparator countries.